History

Background

After that he was instrumental in its foundation, Rutelli early became uncomfortable with the PD which he saw as too stretched on the left. In September 2009, when he was a guest at a party convention of the Union of the Centre (UdC) of Pier Ferdinando Casini, he told the press that he was interested in an alliance with the new party Casini was organizing through the UdC.[6] Rutelli's critical view of the PD was reinforced by the election of Pier Luigi Bersani as party leader in a primary election on 25 October 2009.

On 27 October, after months of speculation, Rutelli hinted that was leaving the PD. The core idea of Rutelli was that Italy needed a new "political proposal" in a time when the country was on the verge of splitting in two, with Lega Nord more than ever confident in the North and the possible emergence of the Party of the South: a scenario that could mean complete marginalization for the centre-left and its failure as a national political force.[7]

For some days Rutelli lingered on whether he was leaving the PD or not because the strategic goal of his initiative was a stable alliance between the UdC and the Democrats, with Tabacci instrumental in that. However, on 31 October, through an interview to Corriere della Sera, Rutelli announced that it was his intention to leave the PD immediately. In the interview he remarked how in his view social democracy was "a historical experience that has no chance to speak to present-day people" and that his goal was to "unite democratic, liberal and popular forces" in order to "build, in some years time, the largest [political] force of the country".[10]

On 8 December Tabacci left the UdC after that Casini had met with Berlusconi to discuss of justice reform and of an alliance between The People of Freedom and UdC in some regions. Tabacci, who said he was going to assemble his fellow members of the White Rose, explained that the new party would be "distant and alternative to the populism of Berlusconi and of the League" but open to centre-right voters.[11] Casini soon foresaw a likely alliance between his party and ApI.[12]

Early times

On 11 November 2010, along with many others, Rutelli presented the name and the provisional logo of the party.[13]

In late March 2010 regional elections the party run joint lists with the UdC in most regions and run its own lists in only four regions: Marche (where it gained 2.0% of the vote and one regional councillor),[23]Campania (3.0% and no councillors),[24]Basilicata (4.2% and one councillor),[25] and Calabria (2.2% and no councillors).[26] The result was a little bit disappointing and the party had no real presence in the North.

This situation came into criticism by the Northern branches of the party, especially Union for Trentino (UpT) and Alliance for Veneto (ApV), launched by Massimo Calearo as a competitor of Liga Veneta–Lega Nord.[27] Giorgio Lunelli, leading member of UpT, spoke for many Northern party members when he criticized the party's lack of interest for the North, called for Rutelli's resignation and proposed a confederal structure for the party.[28] In September 2010 Calearo left ApI and ApV was disbanded.[29]

In November 2011 the party was joined by Santo Versace, a former Socialist coming from The People of Freedom (PdL).[33] In January 2012 Luigi Fabbri, also a former Socialist passed through the PdL joined.[34] In February Cristina De Luca replaced a deceased Democratic senator, but, instead joining the PD's group, she joined ApI.[35] With Versace, Fabbri and De Luca the party had seven deputies and seven senators.

To the centre-left and back

In September 2012 Rutelli started to re-position the party within the centre-left coalition, aiming at making the ApI its liberal and centrist component. Rutelli also stated that he aimed to represent a "new environmentalism".[47] In October 2012 Riccardo Milana, a leading centrist, left in order to join the UdC.[48][49] In November 2012, Tabacci, a leading member of the ApI and Christian democrat, ran in the centre-left primary election for becoming the Prime Minister candidate of the centre-left.[50]

On 28 December 2012, in the run-up to the 2013 Italian general election, Tabacci announced an agreement with Rights and Freedom, a splinter group from IdV, and the formation of Democratic Centre (CD) as centrist wing of the Italy. Common Good coalition. Rutelli and other party's bigwigs were present at first press conference of the new electoral list.[51][52][53] Subsequently, the ApI's sub-group in the Chamber changed its name to "Democratic Centre".[46] Most leading members and incumbent MPs of ApI (Tabacci, Pino Bicchielli, Francesco Bruno, Cristina De Luca, Luigi Fabbri, Vincenzo Iovine, Vilma Mazzocco, Donato Mosella, Pino Pisicchio, Giacinto Russo, etc.) joined CD,[54][55] while Rutelli chose not to be a candidate and announced that ApI would return for the 2014 European Parliament election.[56]Lorenzo Dellai, former member and coordinator of ApI, became a leading supporter and the practical leader of Mario Monti's Civic Choice (SC).

In the election, Tabacci, Pisicchio, Bruno and Roberto Capelli (ApI regional leader in Sardinia) were elected for CD, while Dellai and Lanzillotta were elected for SC. Of the four elects for CD, only Bruno chose to remain within ApI and, consequently, did not join the CD sub-group in the Chamber of Deputies.[57][58]